Adia Tay: “Truth, to me, is something that lasts forever.”

Today we have the huge privilege of having singer-songwriter Adia Tay with us!

Adia Tay, 25, is a singer-songwriter who sings every Friday at Barber Shop by Timbre with her band, “The Wayfarers”. She is currently in the process of creating her first EP, “Kintsugi”. Adia was part of the Noise Music Mentorship in 2016, and has performed at notable venues such as BluJazz and The Esplanade, and festivals like the Night Fest 2016. Like her facebook page here or follow her on instagram @adiatayyt .

We hope you enjoy our feature with Adia Tay today!

Wan Wei: Hello Adia! Can you tell us more about yourself and what you are doing?

Adia Tay: Hello! I’m 25 this year, and it’s a pretty transitional year for me. Very generally, I’m figuring out what I want to achieve in this life, and growing into the person I want to become.

I’m currently working as a musician, freelance writer, and part-time marketeer.

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Wan Wei: How would you define “the truth”? Is there a truth, or is everything subjective? How do you tell?

Adia Tay: Opinions are subjective, and change, but the truth does not waver. Truth, to me, is something that lasts forever.

For me, that means everything that God has spoken. I find this in the bible. But you don’t need to go to church or read the bible to know truth.

Truth is deposited in each of us. We all know, for example, that it is better to forgive than to be bitter. This isn’t subjective.

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Wan Wei: How can you tell the truth (especially when it is unpleasant) to someone without being offensive?

Adia Tay: Respect and understand them, and always speak to someone the way you would like to be spoken to, especially if you were being told something that’s hard to swallow.

The truth may be bitter medicine, but served with timeliness, respect, understanding, and love, is much easier accepted.

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Wan Wei: What are the three ways a person can accept the truth (especially when it is unpleasant) without being offended?

Adia Tay: Firstly, accepting that we’re not perfect as people helps. Confident people can take criticism, as they acknowledge that they aren’t and can never be perfect.

Secondly, humility makes fertile soil for growth. And we all need the truth to grow. Increasingly, I tend to apologise first in a quarrel, even if I know I am mostly right, because after all, I’m not perfect and there’s always something I could have done better.

It’s not easy apologising first, but it’s always better, because relationship is more important than pride. With relationship, truth can be told. But you can have all the truth in the world, and no relationship, and no one will want the truth anyway.

Thirdly, I think treasuring life, and holding stuff with a loose hand helps. Once we treasure life, we learn to let go of inconsequential things, and make the most of what we have.

If someone’s negative comment to you, truthful or not, won’t matter in a few years, don’t spend more than five minutes of your previous life mulling over it. If it does matter, don’t mull, move forward with it.

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Wan Wei: On a parting note, can you give us a painless tip to check if a person is grounded in reality?

Adia Tay: I think relationships with other people is so important. Other people can help us see things we cannot see in ourselves.

One painless tip? Talk to the people who know you and love you, and who you can trust to be wise and honest. The right people hold up mirrors for who you really are.